COVID-19 Closes Shirak Airport in Gyumri

The COVID-19 pandemic has put Armenia's second international airport, Shirak in Gyumri, in a dire situation. It is worth noting that after the state of emergency was declared in Armenia on March 16, there were no passengers using Shirak from April to June. This was largely due to the fact that there was only one flight during these three months. This information is derived from statistics published by the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee.

According to an infographic provided, the passenger traffic numbers for January and February matched those of the same period over the last three years, but in March, the number of passengers sharply decreased, and from April to June, the airport was effectively idle. For comparison, while Shirak served 27,533 passengers in the first half of this year, that figure was 2.5 times higher at 68,175 during the same period last year.

During the past six months, no cargo shipments have been made through Shirak. As harsh as it may sound, this is a common occurrence for Gyumri's airport, as no cargo or mail was delivered or imported through it throughout the year of 2019. Last year, the government decided to establish a free economic zone (FEZ) in Gyumri. The FEZ will primarily focus on logistics and production, and the Shirak airport is expected to play a crucial role in facilitating large-scale cargo transportation. For now, this is the only hope for reviving cargo operations at Gyumri's air gateways.

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